Woodworkers and other artisans make high quality, custom writing instruments (pens, mechanical pencils and the like) by shaping or turning a blank that is formed of wood or other materials to give the exterior of the blank an attractive shape. The blank is hollow, with a central bore that holds the components of the writing instrument. Before shaping or turning the blank, the artisan generally inserts a hollow support structure, known as a pen tube, into the bore in the blank. The pen tube is made of metal, e.g., brass, and is used to prevent the blank from breaking or other damage during machining. The pen tube is glued in place, typically with a fast curing cyanoacrylate adhesive, to secure it within the bore during the machining process. The pen tube also serves as a housing for the components of the writing instrument. In other applications the pen tube can allow a device, such as a magnifying glass or letter opener blade, to be attached to the machined blank with the blank serving as a handle.
Gluing the pen tubes in place is a challenging procedure. Pen tubes often end up poorly oriented in the bore, with the adhesive setting before the pen tube can be re-oriented correctly. This and other problems during insertion can ruin costly blanks. In other cases, the pen tube becomes stuck on the insertion tool. Adhesive often becomes stuck on the artisan's fingers, and may contaminate the pen tube or blank.